I'd like to know what files are hidden on a bootable DOS diskette? When I use the open command in 'wordpad', it does not show that 'autoexec.bat' is on my floppy. But if I type it in manually, it will open it anyway. I'd like to know if there are any other files in the boot sector of the floppy that don't appear in a wordpad file list but are still on the floppy. Thanks!

What has WORDPAD go to do with DOS? that is a Windows GUI/Windows NT piece of software. In PURE STANDALONE DOS to look at contents of any drives hidden files you type /A after DIR eg; A:\DIR /A Press enter then list is supplied, for other switches type /? after DIR eg; A:\DIR /?

Yeah - autoexec.bat is neither a hidden file, nor is it 'in the boot sector' Wordpad by default looks for certain extensions associated with documents - editing plain text DOS configuration files with an editor that might add page formatting junk to the file may lead to problems - use notepad or DOS Edit. MSDOS.SYS & IO.SYS are hidden, system files on a bootdisk - you would be well advised to leave them be - they're binary (at least, in DOS6xx and earlier) I'm just looking for clues at the scene of the crime

if you want to add or change lines in autoexec.bat: open windows explorer click on a:\ rightclick autoexec.bat choose edit then edit the text after that: press upper right X choose Yes to save the file

Here is what's on a standard 1.44M "IBM formatted" floppy disk: a little program that checks to see if two files, io.sys and msdos.sys, are located on the floppy disk. If not, it displays "non-system disk or disk error" and waits for the user to press a key. This is why you get that message when you leave a floppy in the drive and reboot. That program is already on place. In fact, all you ahve to do to make a DOS boot floppy is do a regular IBM format to a floppy disk and put io.sys and msdos.sys on the disk.

Birdman you need to SYS a floopy diskette if you use MS-DOS 6x, PC-DOS 7x, DR-DOS 7x or earler. You cannot just copy the files over. You can with MS-DOS 7x but not with 6x 3 files are in fact copied over and needed to create a bootdisk: IO.SYS & MSDOS.SYS or IBMBIO.SYS & IBMDOS.SYS with PC or DR DOS and COMMAND.COM with all of them. *The 3 files also need to be the same version! Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...

P.S. To Format a bootable diskette under DOS its: FORMAT A: /S /S = SYS Please reply with a message to let us all know we are on the right track...